Ken Iiyoshi

PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering, New York University Abu Dhabi.
BS in Computer Engineering, New York University Abu Dhabi.
IEEE Member
Google Scholar

About

Ever since the first walking robot, ASIMO, amazed me as a child, I have always dreamed of making robots that can inspire people. With an ambition to become a robotic entrepreneur, I chose to study computer engineering in New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) with a full scholarship, mastering both software and hardware. I completed my PhD in Soft Haptics and Robotics under NYUAD AIM Lab through the NYUAD Global PhD Fellowship Program. I am currently translating my research into industrial use in NYU through my postdoctoral innovation fellow position under the university’s office of the provost, funded by the George Kaiser Family Foundation.

I grew up in Palo Alto, Boston, and Kyoto, Japan. As far back as I can remember, I loved to dance, laugh, and make things. If I was born during the stone age, I still would have enjoyed making tools during the day, and dancing around camp fires and cracking jokes at night. Perhaps it is not a surprise that I dance (me dancing in high school), play the piano, and watch Japanese comedy for leisure. Naturally, I often fantasize about making robot comedians and breakdancers with me playing the BGM.

I post my thoughts on current events on Twitter.

I recently made a reflection on my cultural experience in NYUAD.

Research

• Summer 2020: Continuation of Aummer 2019 research. Conference paper published for Intetain 2020 as a first author. Paper link: link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-030-76426-5_5

• Summer 2019: Implementation of NYUAD AIM Lab’s proposed IEEE standard for haptics network communication. Conference paper published for HAVE 2019 as a first author. Paper link: ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8921013

• Summer 2018: As a research intern in NYUAD’s AIM Lab, I developed a VR-based haptic dental simulation for NYU College of Dentistry. It is the first digital simulation in the world where users can instantly generate customized teeth models. The simulation was demonstrated in NYUAD Research Conference where I presented my work to UAE’s Minister of State. See my research report for technical details. Also, as a native Japanese, I represented the lab and liaised with Japanese tech companies to procure cutting-edge haptic devices. Furthermore, I constructed a website for the annual Joint UAE Symposium on Social Robotics hosted by the lab.

Academic Projects/Activities

Engineering

• Spring 2020: Capstone Project: Design of a Haptic-Audio-Visual Tele-Dental Training Simulation.

• Fall 2019: Printed Circuit Board design of Electrocardiography device. Design file available (requires Adobe Reader for viewing 3D PDF page).

• Spring 2018: Through the engineering department’s flagship Engineers for Social Impact program, I implemented a green community space in Mumbai’s slum, collaborating with local urbanologists, architects, and social workers. I created a digital 3D model of the space through vector graphics rendering.

• Fall 2017: I worked as a teaching assistant for NYUAD’s ENGR-UH 1000 Computer Programming for Engineers course, teaching students C++/MATLAB and grading their assessments.

Interactive media

• January 2019: In collaboration with Etihad Cargo’s Innovation Department, I teamed with computer science and business students, developed an interactive AI-powered business forecast dashboard, and pitched its business model to corporate executives. The dashboard analyzes Etihad’s air routes in tandem with market data to predict demands from freight forwarders ahead of its competitors.

Political Science

• Spring 2020: Colloquium in Industrial Revolutions and the Future of Work, resulting in a research project on how Soft Haptics can Impact the future of work.

• Fall 2017: Wealth of Nations, resulting in an essay on “Womenomics“ policy in Japan.

• Spring 2017: Colloquium in Colonialism and Postcolonialism, resulting in essays on Thomas Babington Macaulay and Accepting Guilt as a Former Colonial Empire.

• As NYUAD Student Government Election Commissioner for 2016-2017 academic year, I organized town halls, managed NYU’s Student Vote system, and published analytics for all 15 government position elections. I published weekly student government assembly minutes as a correspondent for the Gazelle, NYUAD's student publication.

Arts and Humanities

• Spring 2020: Core Class in Dis/Abilities in Musical Context, resulting in essays on Social Dis/Ability Model of Future One-Handed Concert Pianists and Socio-cultural Analysis of Normative Femininity in Oh My Girl Banhana.

• Fall 2016: Writing Seminar Course in Contemporary Debates of Islam, resulting in a Final Portfolio.

Personal Projects

• Developing a personal GitHub Website

  • January 2020: Exercises on jQuery and JavaScript.

  • January 2018: Designed an interactive website as part of one-month long intensive interactive media course in NYU Shanghai. The website takes NYU Abu Dhabi students through a Star Wars Themed tour of Shanghai based which is customized through user inputs. The website was created using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

• Summer 2017: Designed a Raspi Bot using Python.

Media Appearances

• Council on Undergraduate Research: NYU Abu Dhabi Undergraduates Propose a Protocol for 5G Internet. 3 December 2019.

• New York University Abu Dhabi Computer Engineering: Making Robots for the Community. 23 April 2019.